President,
A great week indeed. One lesson I feel impressed to tell you about was with a woman, Tanya, in our family stake. Tanya has an interesting story. In February 2012 she was living in Florida with her husband and five-year-old son. Unexpectedly, her husband was diagnosed with bone marrow cancer and died several months later. Through the treatment process, Tanya met Rich. Rich helped with her husband's cancer by donating money and providing a natural alternative for his treatment through oils. Tanya got to know Rich better this way and Rich got to know the family. After Tanya's husband died, she and Rich married. Rich was the perfect family man and already knew her son. Now Rich and Tanya live here in Rexburg, where Rich is from. Tanya has been immersed in the LDS culture and has attended church with her new family, faithfully every Sunday.
When I met Tanya, right when I got to Rexburg, she was a little eerie of the missionaries. She told us that she did not want to get too deep into a religion and make any commitments. She was still in a state of transition from her life in Florida with a different husband, to a life in Rexburg, Idaho with a bunch of "mormons" (Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saint's- because I know from conference yesterday that we are not supposed to say mormon's without then stating the full, correct name of the church). Two weeks ago we had a great lesson with her in which she decided she would like to be baptized in mid-June. I was a little saddened by this date that she picked. I was not sure if I would be here for her baptism, and I wanted to!
This week in our lesson we shared a verse found in First John. 1 John 4:18 to be specific. This verse expounds upon two opposing emotions, love and fear. When we have love for someone or something, we will do everything in our power to get it. Fear has not place in a 100% pure and loving heart. We, as missionaries, related this to the love of Christ. When we truly love our Savior and his atoning sacrifice for us, we want to do nothing but do as he did. We then asked Tanbya, do you love or fear the idea of becoming a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. She said she feared it, that she didn't believe she have enough knowledge to make that commitment to the Lord. After a substantial pause, we asked Tanya how she could gain the knowledge of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. She said, "Well, I guess the spirit." Oh what joy these words brought to my heart. In that moment, we asked Tanya if we could kneel and pray. If we could call upon the Lord with all the sincerity of heart and ask him if the gospel has been restored by Joseph Smith, through Jesus Christ. If the Book of Mormon was the word of God. And if it be so, should she join the church.
As we knelt, I could see Tanya's whole disposition change. I could physically witness her heart open through her humble words to the Lord. After she closed her prayer, she began to cry. She told us her deep struggles and fears of joining the church. She told us that she would never tell anyone these things, and she did not know why she was telling us these things. She told us that a scripture we shared with her months ago, was the exact scripture that she had engraved on a necklace for her husband. The "health in the navel, marrow in the bones" scripture. She said there was no other way, other than us truly being of God, that we would have known to share that at that time.
After about 10 minutes of confiding in us, still on our knees by the way, we ask Tanya if she still feared baptism. She told us that she received an answer to her prayer and she knew the spirit testified to her that it is what she needs to do, now and not later in June. Tanya is now being baptized in May the 2nd and cannot be any happier.
Why do I tell you this story? Well, I learned a great deal about myself as a servant of the Lord. I learned that I truly am called of God, not that I didn't know this before, but to hear an investigator say that to you just confirms it with such power. I felt a deeper desire to share the restored gospel. To help other. Through the spirit, all things are possible. The Lord does answer our prayers. When we pray specifically, we get specific answers.
I'm sorry this letter is so long, but I needed to tell you these things. I love my Heavenly Father. I am ever grateful for my Savior, Jesus Christ. I am grateful to know of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. I will continue to teach by his spirit, and pray for his spirit to abide with me.
A humble and loving heart,
Sister Fredrick
Wasn't Conference amazing? I can honestly say that this is the first time I have been able to stay awake and keep my attention focused the whole time. Maybe it has something to do with being set apart? Maybe it's that i'm growing up? I think it's probably because not only was I trying to learn things for myself, but I was trying to learn things to help our investigators. I think i'm on to something...when you do things for others...you always get more out of it! But of course that's not why we do it. An "attitude of gratitude" as President Uchtdorf addressed. "Put away the bitter bottle and drink of the grateful goblet". We have so many things to be grateful for! And one of those is PREACH MY GOSPEL. M. Russel Ballard hit on this. So from now on, I would like to follow up with you guys on how missionary work is going on your end and how you are implementing preach my gospel into your lives. This week, I learned through my personal and companionship studies, that nothing brings the spirit stronger that testifying of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. NOTHING. As we put this to practice, always FOLLOWING UP, we saw the fruits of our labors...and they were SWEET!
We met a student from California named Toby. He has been here for a semester, reading the Book of Mormon in French, but has just wanted to come to know it's true by himself. We shared with him the message of the restoration...almost as good as Lawrence E. Corbridge's....And bore our firm testimonies of it. We asked if he would follow the example of Jesus Christ and be baptized by someone holding priesthood authority. He accepted and is set to be baptized on May the 4th...May the fourth be with you ;)
I know that when we bear testimony of Christ's gospel in these latter days, the spirit will be felt by those listening. I know this church it true. Through and through!
LOVE,
Sister Fredrick
The TV was invented in Rigby, Idaho! We went to the museum this morning!
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